Hockey: International coup for SW

South West sport hit the jackpot early this week with the announcement of a 10-match international program to be shared between Bunbury and Busselton.

Five top international hockey men’s and women’s teams will be playing 10 matches in the South West in October including the all-conquering Olympic champions, Australia.

The triple gold-medal-winning Hockeyroos will play two matches against fifth-placed China in Busselton and Bunbury while the men feature in a triangular series with former world powerhouses Pakistan and India culminating in a proposed grand final on the Bunbury Hockey Stadium.

Bunbury and Districts Hockey Association chairmen Rob McNab yesterday announced the tournament at the Bunbury Hockey Stadium.

‘‘This is the biggest thing that hockey has seen in the South West,’’ he said.

‘‘If we were talking soccer, it would be the equivalent of Argentina versus Brazil in your back yard — we’ve got Australia, the number one ranked team, playing India, the number eight ranked team and the Pakistanis, who are in a re-building mode.

‘‘They are three leading regional men’s teams and then the Chinese women have been leading the world with their improvement over the last couple of years.

‘‘The South West is the most significant region outside of the metropolitan area so it’s no accident that they’re coming here.’’

The last time the South West hosted an international team was the Netherlands in 1998 and 2009, both matches attracting a packed house of several thousand spectators.

Australia, Pakistan and India men and the Chinese and Australian womenwill be engaged in a super series in Perth as part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting before travelling to the South West to continue their preparation for the London Olympic Games next year.